Senior Associate- Food Systems, Agriculture and Climate Resilience Management

The Busara Center for Behavioral Economics is an advisory and research organization focused on evaluation and implementation of behavioral interventions in understudied countries and populations. Busara’s mission is to work with researchers and organizations to advance and apply behavioral science in pursuit of poverty alleviation. This involves the applicat…

Senior Associate- Food Systems, Agriculture and Climate Resilience Management

Role Purpose

• Busara’s FaRM team applies behavioral science to some of the most complex challenges in food systems, smallholder agriculture, and climate resilience across the Global South. As a Senior Associate, you will work closely with the Engagement Director to lead the delivery of rigorous research and advisory projects for donors, governments, NGOs, and private sector clients working on food security, climate adaptation, and agricultural market systems.

• You are a skilled researcher and project executor, someone who can take a well-scoped engagement and drive it forward with rigor, initiative, and attention to detail. You bring deep qualitative research expertise, genuine sector knowledge, and the organizational ability to keep complex, multi-method projects on track.

• You translate behavioral evidence into actionable recommendations, backed by the credibility that comes from real field experience and methodological depth. You are comfortable representing Busara’s work in client settings and holding your own in a room with a senior government official or seasoned development economist while knowing when to loop in senior leadership.

• This is not a role for generalists. We are looking for someone who has spent meaningful time in the field and understands the lived realities of smallholder farmers and agri-food value chains. In this role, you will take ownership of project deliverables and client relationships, directly manage project staff, and coordinate effectively across Busara’s internal teams to ensure engagements are executed to the highest standard.

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities:

Senior Associates will work closely with Busara offices and  directly with academic researchers and advisory clients to perform a variety of tasks, including, but not limited to:

Client & Advisory Leadership

• Own the client relationship across the full engagement lifecycle — from scoping and contracting through delivery and dissemination.

• Lead senior-level conversations with donors, implementing partners, ministries, and private sector clients; anticipate needs, navigate complexity, and manage expectations proactively.

• Translate client problems into well-defined research and advisory briefs; push back constructively when questions are ill-formed or scope is misaligned.

• Develop proposals, concept notes, and pitch decks; contribute to business development within the food systems and climate resilience space.

• Represent Busara at conferences, technical working groups, and client convenings — presenting findings with clarity and confidence to non-specialist and expert audiences alike.

Qualitative Research & Technical Execution

• Design and lead qualitative research components — including in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), ethnographic observation, and participatory methods — with rigor and cultural sensitivity.

• Synthesize qualitative evidence into coherent, actionable narratives; identify behavioral drivers and barriers embedded in complex social and institutional contexts.